The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is Australia's national transport safety investigator. The ATSB's function is to improve safety and public confidence in the aviation, marine and rail modes of transport. The ATSB is Australia's prime agency for the independent investigation of civil aviation, rail and maritime accidents, incidents and safety deficiencies.

When the aircraft became low on approach, the pilot applied power to correct the approach angle. However this resulted in a higher than recommended airspeed and the aircraft touched down and bounced. Witness reports indicate that the final touchdown occurred between 155 and 180 metres after the threshold, however, positive wheel marks were not evident until 340 metres after the threshold. When the pilot realised that insufficient strip remained for the aircraft to be brought to a stop, she attempted to carry out a groundloop. The aircraft skidded sideways off the end of the strip and down a steep incline before coming to rest against a tree. The pilot had encountered several problems prior to the accident. The aircraft battery had gone flat twice causing delays to the passengers. The passengers had become irritated by the delays and vented their anger on the pilot. The pilot stated that she was concerned about starting the engine after the landing and about the time available to complete the schedule before returning the aircraft to the base that night. She also stated that because of her preoccupation with the above matters she had not planned the approach and landing.